I finally landed my DREAM JOB!!!!!!

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I'm so excited I just wanted to share with everyone and give the new grads something to keep the hope alive!
I graduated with my LPN May of 2010, and landed a job in June 2010. That job just kind of fell into my lap. I do feel it was all in the timing. When I went into apply it happened to be the same day that 2 nurses were being "let go" for unsafe behaviors (not sure what it was). Anyways it meant they needed nurses now. So I interviewed then and there and was offered the job on the spot. I worked full time and finished nursing school. Honestly I loved it. It was an excellent place to start out at. (mind you I cried EVERY day after work for the first month from all the fear and stress overload!!) But the facility was great, the DON was great and most of the other staff were great. I learned so much and grew so much in my time there. (to all those new grads, don't forget to apply at LTC facilities, they pay great and you WILL learn how to be a nurse, trust me!)
But then I graduated with my RN in April of 2011. I knew I was never the nursing home type and although thankful for the job I had, my heart was in the hospital. So May 2011 I started my long, depressing, and frustrating search for that diamond in the rough hospital job. I spent months applying for jobs within 1 hour of my home, over 10 hospitals and over 200 applications. And guess what, not even a single phone call. After 6 months of despair (and many of the sad new grad posts to allnurse.com) one of the rural hospital about 3 hours away popped up with an RN job on med/surg. I applied, got a phone call (YEAH) and the interview went great. So I finally started in a hospital on a med/surg unit in October of 2011. I knew that this was my foot in the door to my dreams. The job has been great. The hospital works so well with new grads and everyone I work with is just the kind of healthcare team you want at your back.
But again, as my year at this job was coming to an end, I knew that med/surg in a rural hospital was not where my heart was. So I began searching for my dream job, knowing that I would be spending another 6 months (probably) applying, depressing, and frustrating over the search I decided to get the jump on it and began applying in August for any ICU job that would take 1 year on med/surg. (By this time my hubby had finished his RN degree and we would be able to relocate anywhere.) So I applied and applied from Washington State to New York State and everything in between. It had been nearly 3 months of applying without receiving even one phone call... again.... So of course, more frustrating, despairing, but then.... Finally a phone call!!! I had talked with the recruiter (which I always did at all the hospitals I applied for). New grad tip: don't just let the Internet do all your talking! Call HR and talk with someone, get yourself out there!) Anyways, I called the recruiter 2 weeks prior to my "official phone call" and got my name known by HR. The recruiter had then sent my resume to the manager and low and behold 2 weeks passed and I got my first phone interview!!!
The phone interview went so well that the manager decided to fly me across the country so we could meet in person 3 weeks after the phone interview. I was so nervous for the in person meeting. I wanted this job more than I wanted oxygen!
And guess what.... After the face-to-face interview I was offered the job right then and there!
So now you are looking (figuratively) at your newest Surgical ICU RN at a trauma 1 hospital!!!!!!! Finally after aiming for this dream job for the past 2 years I can officially say I did it. I am so excited!!!!!!
My advice to the new grads out there.... 1. Don't give up! You don't always get what you want but you will get what you work for. Apply Apply Apply! Call people, get your name out there. Let your passion for nursing guide you. 2. Don't fly too close to the sun or you might crash and burn. I know that the dream jobs like ER, ICU, and OB are what everyone wants to be in but in today's world your going to have to work your way up. Don't be afraid to do homehealth, LTC facility, med/surg floors, ect. If you get your foot in the door it'll be a lot easier to open more doors when you get the chance! 3. Always be prepared for your interviews. Practice what your going to say, research about what questions they will ask you and make sure you have a good answer for them all! 4. Keep trying, if you want it bad enough it will happen. Good luck everyone! If I can do it you can do it!

Congratulations!!!!!!! I always LOVE hearing success stories from people who have been through the struggle of job hunting! And you've been through it twice in a short time. All you hard work has paid off! And now that job hunt is just a memory. Thanks for coming back here to update us & motivate us new grads to keep persisting. Congratsssss!!!!!! Let us know how the job goes!

Thanks guys! I can't wait to start! And my husband will be getting a job at the same hospital (hopefully) the nursing recruiter is working with him to find placement. He does have 6 months RN experience, which is the minimum requirement to start at this this hospital.